Update/Correction: There have been at least 9 homicides in the City of Trenton in 2022
April 9, 2022
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–According to the Mercer County Prosecutors Office, at 1:54 a.m., Trenton Police received two Shotspotter activations in the area of 320 Perry Street and 213 Perry Street. Trenton Police also received several 9-1-1 calls reporting a male down. Officers arrived on scene and located the victim laying in front of 205 Perry Street. T.E.M.S. transported the victim to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. The victim was identified as 31-year-old Leroy Davis, of Trenton. The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating.
Trenton murders continue to grow at an alarming rate in 2022. During the past two years the murders in Trenton have been tied at 40 homicides. Currently the homicide rate is at 9 for 2022, with one of those still under investigation to determine the exact cause.
Looking back at 2020 and 2021, in 2020 Trenton did not have 9 homicides on record until May 17, 2020 and in 2021 it was May 29 before reaching 9 murders.
It is alarming that we are still in the beginning of April and the homicide count is already 9 for 2022 over a month ahead of the rate of the two bloodiest years in Trenton’s history.
Names of the 2022 homicide victims in the City of Trenton:
- 2/15/2022 Antwone Barnes, 37, of Trenton, Stabbing
- 2/23/2022 Leonardo Fernandez, 32, of Trenton, Stabbing
- 3/01/2022 Shimon Nesmith Jr., 19, of Trenton, Shooting
- 3/03/2022 Helen Nelson, 73, of Trenton, Physical Assault
- 3/15/2022 Albert L. Barnes, 46, of Trenton, Shooting
- 3/25/2022 Sequoya Bacon-Jones, 9, of Trenton, Shooting
- 3/31/2022 Tahaad Goss, 16, of Trenton, Shooting
- 4/07/2022 Jaquir Queen, 26, of Willingboro, Shooting
- 4/09/2022 Leroy Davis, 31, of Trenton, Shooting
Names of 40* 2021** homicide victims:
- 2/18/2021 Jabree Saunders, 26, from shooting on May 14, 2018
- 2/22/2021 Khalil Gibbs, 25, of West Windsor, shooting
- 2/25/2021 Lovelle Laramore, 60, of Trenton shooting
- 4/15/2021 Kaheem Carter, 22, of Trenton, shooting
- 4/20/2021 Shaquan McNeil, 25, of Trenton, shooting
- 4/24/2021 Cheryl Jones, 65, of Trenton, shooting
- 4/29/2021 Ramire Harvey, 25, of Trenton, shooting
- 5/15/2021 David Williams 36, of Trenton, shooting
- 5/29/2021 Edgar Geovani Sis-Luis, 34, of Trenton, aggravated manslaughter
- 7/05/2021 Dion Ellis, 16, Trenton, Shooting
- 7/14/2021 Pablo Herrera Chun, 53, Trenton, Shooting
- 7/19/2021 William Mitchell, 33, Trenton, Shooting
- 7/19/2021 Jermel Carter, 38, Trenton, Shooting
- 7/29/2021 Leonard Pettigrew, 58, Trenton, Shooting
- 7/30/2021 Shaquil Loftin, 23, Shooting, Trenton
- 8/01/2021 Daquan Basnight, 30, of Ewing, Shooting
- 8/13/2021 Javier Chaj-Ajtun, 33, of Trenton, Shooting
- 8/19/2021 Herberth Ramirez Pimentel, 37, of Trenton, Shooting
- 8/23/2021 Yanquai Edwards, 25, of Rancocas, NJ, Shooting
- 8/25/2021 Daron Cheston, 18, Trenton, Shooting
- 8/27/2021 Ziare Jones, Shooting
- 8/30/2021 Fred Davis, 43, Trenton, Shooting
- 9/06/2021 Shamiem Young, 26, Trenton, Shooting
- 9/17/2021 Jeff Charles, 37, Trenton, Shooting
- 9/25/2021 Shemiah Davis, 15, Trenton, Shooting
- 10/2/2021 Omar Burgess, 49, of Trenton, Shooting
- 10/3/2021 Elias Juarez Lopez, 31, of Princeton, Shooting
- 10/4/2021 Candice Ruff, 19, of Trenton, Shooting On September 25
- 10/7/2021 Douglas Munn, 50, of Trenton. Shooting
- 10/13/2021 Melvin Williams 26, of Trenton, Shooting
- 10/29/2021 Edwin Obdulio Gomez Interiano, 41, Shooting
- 10/29/2021 Everth Barrera, 56, of Ewing, Shooting
- 10/30/2021 Dartanian Ames of Lawrence, 41, Shooting
- 11/1/2021 Hector Torres, 43, of Trenton, Shooting on 10/31
- 11/17/2021 David Johnson, 39, of Trenton
- 12/11/2021 Michael Degrass of Trenton
- 12/18/2021Unidentified male, shot Garfield Ave
- 12/25/2021 Selvin Lima, Arson
- 12/25/2021 Dilman Canpos, Arson
- 12/31/2021 Shooting Donnelly Homes
*Updated to reflect the person who died in 2021 from complications from a shooting on May 14, 2018 as per medical examiner report.
**As of 9:00 p.m. 12/31/ 2021
The names of the 40 Trenton homicide victims of 2020:
- January 30, 2020, Starquasia Harris, 24, shooting
- February 16, 2020, Maurice London, 39, shooting
- March 23, 2020, Danavan Phillips, 37, shooting
- March 25, 2020, Yuell Moore, 29, shooting
- April 5, 2020 Quamiera Massey, 24, shooting
- April 5, 2020 Dabree Brannon, 30, shooting
- April 5, 2020 Frederick Mason, 20, shooting
- May 14, 2020, pronounced dead May 21, 2020 Terrence Horton, 53, shooting
- May 17, 2020, Robert Smith, 38, shooting
- May 18, 2020 Antwuan Bowens, 44, shooting
- May 18, 2020 Tayvion Jones, 18, shooting
- May 21, 2020 Raheen McKinnon 19, shooting
- May 23, 2020, Watson Cogdell, 58, shooting
- May 30, 2020 Tyrone Campbell, 45, shooting
- June 2, 2020 Dontae Barnes, shooting
- June 21, 2020, Robert Neal, 34, stabbing
- July 1, 2020, Covvie Scott, 24, shooting
- July 8, 2020, Richard Guarderas, 18, shooting
- July 8, 2020, Malcom L. Bowser, 19, shooting
- July 15, 2020, Jason Phillips, 23, shooting
- July 17, 2020, Luis Gonzalez, 37, shooting
- August 2, 2020 died August 5, 2020, Jolisa Marshall, 28, shooting (of Hamilton)
- August 9, 2020, William Irrizarry, 18, shooting
- August 9, 2020, Julius Vargas, 18, shooting
- August 17, 2020, Rahkeem Ortiz, 29, shooting
- August 21, 2020, pronounced dead August 22, Vernetta McCray, 39, drive by shooting
- August 25, 2020, Shamira Williams, 32, stabbing
- August 29, 2020, Tybree Washington, 24, shooting
- October 2, 2020, Hussain Abdullah, 35, shooting
- October 5, 2020, Derek Colley, 26, Shooting
- October 10, 2020, Ola Williams, 61, Shooting
- October 10, 2020, Jaquise Melvin, 26, Shooting
- October 16, 2020 from shooting on October 9, Rudy Alvira Jr.
- October 20, 2020, Johnny Perez, 8, Shooting
- October 20, 2020, Gustavo Perez, 16
- November 13, 2020, Sam Livingston III, age 41, stabbing
- November 17, 2020, Jeremy McTamney, 26, Shooting, Ties Trenton’s record of homicides in 2013.
- November 28, 2020, Daniel Alvaranga, 33, Stabbing
- November 29, 2020, Omar Billups, 37, Shooting
- December 8, 2020, Joel Alexander, 49, Shooting
Not in NJ but across the river in Falls Township, Pennsylvania May 24, 2020 Davon Frink, 25, shooting at a Holiday Inn Express at a Trenton party held there.
Trenton Murders Per Year Since 1989
NJ State Police Uniform Crime Report available here: https://www.njsp.org/ucr/uniform-crime-reports.shtml
1989 = 22
1990 = 21
1991 = 7
1992 = 16
1993 = 11
1994 = 9
1995 = 16
1996 = 14
1997 = 12
1998 = 15
1999 = 8
2000 = 14
2001 = 13
2002 = 19
2003 = 13
2004 = 18
2005 = 31
2006 = 18
2007 = 25
2008 = 19
2009 = 18
2010 = 15
2011 = 23
2012 = 24
2013 = 37
2014 = 32
2015 = 17
2016 = 21
2017 = 23
2018 = 16
2019 = 15
2020 = 40
2021 = 40
2022 = 9* **One under investigation to determine if homicide, as of 4/9/2022
* Prior to 1989 the known highest murder number was 1970 with 27
Updated with statement from Governor Murphy
April 9, 2022
LAKEWOOD, NJ (OCEAN)–Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Lakewood Township Police Chief Gregory Meyer announced that on April 8, 2022, Dion Marsh, 27, of Manchester Township, was charged with three counts of Attempted Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1 and N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1); Carjacking in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:15-2a(1); Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d; Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5d; and three counts of Bias Intimidation in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:16-1a(1), all in connection with a series of incidents that occurred in Lakewood Township and Jackson Township on April 8, 2022.
On April 8, 2022, at approximately 1:15 p.m., Officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department were summoned to the area of Martin Luther King Drive and Pine Street for a report of carjacking. Responding Officers determined that a male suspect approached a 2016 Toyota Camry, assaulted the driver, and fled the area in the vehicle.
At approximately 6:00 p.m., Lakewood Township Police received a report of a pedestrian being struck by a motor vehicle in the area of Central Avenue and Carlton Avenue. Responding Officers discovered that a male victim had been struck by a dark colored vehicle. The victim was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where he is listed in stable condition.
At approximately 6:55 p.m., Lakewood Township Police Officers responded to a 911 call in reference to a stabbing in the vicinity of Pine Circle Drive and Lakewood New Egypt Road. The Officers discovered a male victim with a stab wound to his chest. The victim was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he is listed in critical but stable condition.
At approximately 8:20 p.m., Officers from the Jackson Township Police Department responded to a 911 call for a report of a pedestrian being struck by a motor vehicle in the area of Galassi Court. Responding Officers were able to determine that the male victim had been struck by the same vehicle that was taken in the carjacking incident in Lakewood earlier in the day. The victim was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he is listed in critical but stable condition.
An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Lakewood Township Police Department revealed that Marsh was responsible for all of these criminal acts. On April 8, 2022, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Manchester Township Police Department arrested Marsh at his residence in Manchester Township without incident. Marsh is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.Prosecutor Billhimer and Chief Meyer commend the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, Lakewood Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Jackson Township Police Department, Manchester Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, New Jersey State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, and New Jersey Department of Homeland Security and Preparedness for their collective efforts in connection with this investigation leading to Marsh’s swift apprehension.
“Our investigation reveals that these criminal acts were committed throughout the day yesterday into the early evening and that Marsh was acting alone and not in concert with anyone else. I’m grateful for the collaborative efforts of every police officer and detective that worked swiftly to identify Marsh and bring him into custody without further injury to anyone. A tremendous job by all involved,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.
The charges referenced above are merely accusations and the press and public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
R.P.C. 3.6(b)(6).
Statement from Governor Murphy on Yesterday’s Series of Criminal Acts in Lakewood
“I applaud the efforts of law enforcement in Lakewood and Ocean County for swiftly apprehending the individual believed to have committed a series of serious criminal acts last night, including multiple violent offenses. Tammy and I pray for the full recovery of all victims. The safety of our communities, and notably our communities of faith, is not only a paramount concern but among my highest priorities. We will continue to partner with all who share this commitment so no resident ever needs to live in fear.”
Dion Marsh, 27, of Manchester Township
Dion Marsh, 27, of Manchester Township, was charged with three counts of Attempted Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1 and N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1); Carjacking in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:15-2a(1); Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d; Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5d; and three counts of Bias Intimidation in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:16-1a(1), all in connection with a series of incidents that occurred in Lakewood Township and Jackson Township on April 8, 2022.